45 long colt on deer?

[toadyoforangeville]

ive heard that the 45long colt would work for deer but only if they are loaded very hot and used in a ruger i dont have a ruger and i do have the H&R hartford single action some say that they wont handle "hunting" loads others say they will i was goin to use a mild load like a 230 cast flat point at or around 1100fps goin to be shots under 50yds before goin out and buyin every thing just thought id ask

[righteousbarbarian]

according to wikipedia moderate .45 LC loads (not weak ones) are good enough for deer and black bear at short ranges.

P.S. a little punctuation might make the post easier to read.

[mjd932]

Here you go:

I've heard that .45LC would work for deer if they are loaded very hot and used in a Ruger lever action rifle. I don't have a Ruger, but I do have an H&R Hartford single action. Many say that this rifle won't handle hunting loads and others say it will. I was planning to use a mild load like a 230 cast flat point at, or around, 1100FPS. Most shots will be within 50 yards. Prior to purchasing the ammo, I would like any input that may be available.

[Brick]

A rule of thumb for pistol hunters that I remember seeing so long ago that I can't recall the source was: .40/200/1000, that is a minimum .40 caliber bullet of 200 grains traveling at 1000 fps. Your 230 gr. 1100 fps .45 Colt should do fine for whitetail deer at the ranges you mention. Just use a good bullet and pick your shots.

[revo]

No need to really push the 45 Colt over what it was designed to do.

I just went down this road over the past few months. I thought I needed Ruger loads in the 45 Colt to make a go of deer hunting. Seems that isn't the case. This was a welcome wake up call for me since I don't like pushing loads and I'm not a big fan of big recoil.

The bottom line from the experienced:
A 250-260gr cast bullet designed for hunting (large meplat or driving band) @ 900 fps will sail right through deer.

Check out Bear Tooth Bullets. They have some good hunting bullets for the 45 Colt that can be loaded to standard pressure and work just fine.

[toadyoforangeville]

thank. now to load a couple batches.

[Pa. Patriot]

If you limit your shots to the ranges you can hit accurately the 45LC standard loads (AKA, not hot "ruger" loads) will be more than sufficient.

[knight0334]

Originally Posted by toadyoforangeville

ive heard that the 45long colt would work for deer but only if they are loaded very hot and used in a ruger i dont have a ruger and i do have the H&R hartford single action some say that they wont handle "hunting" loads others say they will i was goin to use a mild load like a 230 cast flat point at or around 1100fps goin to be shots under 50yds before goin out and buyin every thing just thought id ask

230gr @ 1100fps is probably over the threshold for that firearm. Thats 41-44mag energy territory. And to push a slug that fast, you'd have to be pushing the pressure limits.

A 250gr at 700-900fps (std 45LC loads) will take down a deer.

There are way too many people out there preaching that it takes uber-magnums to hunt deer. A std 250gr 45LC slug will probably pass through a deer just like a 44mag will. (remember, heavy bullets retain energy better than lighter ones) If the bullet has enough energy to pass completely through, then any remaining energy that the bullet has is a waste. Energy only matters when 100% of it is transfered(requires bullet to stop within target), otherwise you are working on hole damage to stop the critter.

Just load up some 240-250gr JHP's that expand at low velocity and get them at the mid-top end of the standard pressure levels for the 45 LC. Aim for the heart & lung area just like you would with any "deer" rifle. Keep your shots at short range.

[kmrcstintn]

if you want a .45 caliber that is 'magnumized' then use a .45-70...

seriously, the .45LC and .44-40 were taking game animals long before modern spitzer bullets and magnum handgun rounds were fathomed; you'll be fine (even with moderate cowboy loads) with something in the range of 225 gr to 250 gr solid lead for penetration and a large diameter hole;

you'll have the advantage of having your hearing intact, unlike your hunting buddies that insist on .44 magnum or .454 casull...you can always tell those guys when they start shoutin 'what!!! can ya speal up?!? I can't hear ya!'

[levergun]

Might I suggest that you use a hard cast lead flatnose gas checked bullet with a wide .350" metplat area. This Cast Performance Bullet should work great on deer: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...778&t=11082005
Try this bullet with about 10.0gr. of Hodgdon's HS-6 and it should give you around 900FPS. Let us know how you make out!
Don